Jesse Pettey

Jesse Pettey was born in 1924 of Irish-English parents in East Texas just before the Great Depression struck. The author writes about his memories and adventures of his childhood while growing up in Nacogdoches, Texas during the depression and leading up to Pearl Harbor in 1941. He began his college studies at Stephen F. Austin State University in 1941 only to listen in shock one fateful Sunday afternoon as a radio announcer described the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. The following year, at age 18, the author volunteered for Army Air Corps officer pilot training and graduated at age 20 as a 2nd Lieutenant B-24 pilot. He wrote about his training and combat experiences while training and flying 35 terrifying combat missions over Europe.